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To: Secretary of State

No fun for Nature - Save Swanscombe Marshes

A nationally-important wildlife site is under threat – we need your help to save Swanscombe Marshes!

It is vital that Swanscombe Marshes and the wildlife that calls this amazing site home are protected from the proposed London Resort theme park. We need your help to secure the future of this haven for wildlife.

Please sign our petition and help Save Swanscombe Marshes

Why is this important?

The Swanscombe Peninsula is home to a remarkable mix of habitat of high value to wildlife – these include grasslands, coastal habitats, brownfield features, scrub and intricate wetlands.

Known as Swanscombe Marshes, this urban wilderness is home to thousands of species, including over 200 invertebrate species which are rare or under threat. As well as abundant bees, butterflies and beetles, Swanscombe Marshes is one of just two places in the UK where you can find the Critically Endangered Distinguished jumping spider (Attulus distinguendus). It is home to Nightingales, Cuckoos, Marsh harriers and a thriving population of Common lizards, thanks to its array of rich habitats.

Swanscombe Marshes is not just important for wildlife. The site has been enjoyed by local people for years for walking, bird watching, angling and escaping the hustle and bustle of North Kent.

But all of this is now threatened by the proposed London Resort theme park. Hyped as the ‘UK’s Disneyland’, much of the unique habitat of Swanscombe Marshes would be destroyed and concreted. The wildlife riches of the site simply will not survive this development. At a time when the value of wildlife and open spaces is being appreciated more than ever and amid a biodiversity crisis, we urge the Secretary of State to reject this unnecessary and ill thought out application.

Please sign our petition to save this unique site, let’s save Swanscombe Marshes!

For more information please visit our website https://www.buglife.org.uk/campaigns/save-swanscombe-marshes/.

Photos l to r (c) Diamond Geezer, Peter Harvey
Swanscombe, UK

Maps © Stamen; Data © OSM and contributors, ODbL

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Updates

2022-11-15 16:24:19 +0000

Today the Save Swanscombe partners have launched a Vision for Swanscombe Peninsula, which puts nature and the local community at its heart. Following a community survey, a vision has been created that reflects the local desire for it to be managed for its amazing interest and as a much loved green space. 

To help make the #SwanscombeVision become reality, we have called on local residents of Dartford and Gravesham to write to their MP and Council Leader calling on them to support the vision.

You can also help to make the #SwanscombeVision happen by showing your support using our #SwanscombeVision social media assets.
https://www.buglife.org.uk/campaigns/save-swanscombe-marshes/vision-for-swanscombe-peninsula/
None of this would be possible without your support- thank you.

2022-03-30 11:49:51 +0100

Yesterday we received the great news that the application to build the London Resort on the Swanscombe Peninsula Site of Special Scientific Interest has been withdrawn at the eleventh hour! The news came the very morning that the Preliminary Examination to agree a timeline for the six month examination was due to be agreed, following a 13 month protracted Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) application.

However, despite this welcome news, the developers plan to resubmit their troubled application later in 2022, meaning that the fight is not over.

We will continue to work with the local community to stand up for the important wildlife on the Swanscombe Peninsula and to explore avenues to prevent this wildlife haven being lost.

2022-01-17 09:46:28 +0000

We urgently need to raise at least £60,000 to get much needed legal and expert advice. The coalition of Buglife, Kent Wildlife Trust, CPRE Kent and the Save Swanscombe Peninsula SSSI campaign group has just set up a Crowd Justice page, to help give us the strongest footing to stand up for nature at the forthcoming planning examination

Please help us to raise £60,000 by visiting our Crowd Justice campaign page at https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/save-swanscombe-peninsula/ and support our efforts to save our precious wildlife.

2022-01-12 08:11:47 +0000

We urgently need to raise at least £10,000 to get much needed legal and expert advice. The coalition of Buglife, Kent Wildlife Trust, CPRE Kent and the Save Swanscombe Peninsula SSSI campaign group has just set up a Crowd Justice page, to help give us the strongest footing to stand up for nature at the forthcoming planning examination

Please help us to raise £10,000 by visiting our Crowd Justice campaign page at https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/save-swanscombe-peninsula/ and support our efforts to save our precious wildlife.

2021-11-10 16:59:19 +0000

Great news today Natural England's Board met and unanimously designated Swanscombe Marshes as a S.S.S.I.

2021-10-27 10:48:49 +0100

If you can send a response to the Dartford Local Plan before 5pm today https://www.buglife.org.uk/campaigns/save-swanscombe-marshes/dartford-local-plan/

2021-09-27 09:39:13 +0100

Come and joint the Rally to Save Swanscombe Marshes!

On Saturday 2nd October, Buglife, CPRE Kent, Kent Wildlife Trust, RSPB and Save Swanscombe Peninsula SSSI are coming together with the local community for a rally to celebrate the amazing wildlife and habitats at Swanscombe Marshes. Take a tour around the site and add your voice to our calls to save this nationally important wildlife haven.

Date: Saturday 2nd October, 2021
Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Location: Manor Way, opposite Britannia Metals, Northfleet, DA11 9BG
More information: https://www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk/events/2021-10-02-save-swanscombe-marshes

2021-09-22 12:13:45 +0100

Save Swanscombe Rally 2nd October 10am for more details https://www.buglife.org.uk/events/save-swanscombe-marshes-rally/

2021-06-02 15:58:47 +0100

Natural England are looking to formalise the SSSI designation for Swanscombe Marshes you can make representation in favour of this up until 12th July for more information go to this webpage https://www.buglife.org.uk/campaigns/save-swanscombe-marshes/tell-natural-england-that-you-want-the-swanscombe-peninsula-protected/

2021-03-12 11:41:57 +0000

The Good News
Natural England has recognised the outstanding wildlife value of the Swanscombe Peninsula and declared that it should be a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). https://www.buglife.org.uk/news/wildlife-haven-protected-as-theme-park-threat-looms/
Action needed
Help Buglife, Kent Wildlife Trust, RSPB and CPRE Kent highlight the value of this wildlife haven by registering as an ‘Interested Party’ and emailing your comments to the Planning Inspectorate. It will only take five minutes and will make sure that your voice is heard in this important battle to save the site. You have until Wednesday 31st March to speak up for the amazing wildlife at Swanscombe. All you ned to do on this page https://www.buglife.org.uk/campaigns/save-swanscombe-marshes/save-swanscombe-marshes-action/

2021-03-05 15:25:26 +0000

Check out these great campaign tees
https://cdn.buglife.org.uk/2021/02/Mockup-scaled.jpg
See the rationale for SSSI designation
https://cdn.buglife.org.uk/2021/02/Swanscombe-SSSI-rationale-Feb-2021.pdf

2021-02-09 08:32:13 +0000

Check out latest pictures of the Distinguished jumping spider https://cdn.buglife.org.uk/2021/02/Attulus-distinguendus-1-c-Roman-Willi-www.endlessfields.ch_-1024x683.jpg

2021-02-08 12:41:19 +0000

20,000 signatures reached

2021-02-08 08:54:29 +0000

Conservationists put the case for Swanscombe to be made a S.S.S.I. https://www.buglife.org.uk/news/conservationists-united-in-call/

2021-01-29 16:40:11 +0000

Reacting to the announcement that the Government have accepted the application for the London Resort as a National Infrastructure Project Buglife’s planning lead Jamie Robins stated.

“The fight goes on. Swanscombe Marshes is a site of irreplaceable biodiversity value, to allow it to be lost would be crime against nature and we will continue to oppose development there. Considering a theme park to be a national infrastructure project is a bizarre interpretation of ‘national infrastructure’ and means the decision will be taken down a far less transparent route to the exclusion of the public intervention possible within the standard planning process.”